Beware Star Light Cameras

A copy of what I sent to Pop Photo about this company.

Dear Popular Photography Staff,

I was searching for photo gear using your web site
http://popphoto.pricegrabber.com/sea...dee21b5b963e25
and while at that location saw Star Light Cameras listed as a check
rated site. I clicked on their site and saw a Nikon LS 5000 ED scanner
for $1039.99 so I called Star Light to order it. This was December 31,
2003 at about 7:20 p.m. The salesman was pleasant, I confirmed the
price and that shipping would be an additional 6%, and gave him my
credit card, telephone, and shipping address. I asked him if my credit
card would be billed that night (Wednesday) and he said "No, not until
Friday. He then asked if I wanted the five year extended warranty for
the special price of $199.00 (regularly $299) and I said "No I'm very
careful with my equipment and I've never used a warranty. Then he
pulled the switch on me: "Do you want the Taiwan or Japanese model?
The price quoted is for the Taiwan model and that doesn't come with
any cables or anything it's just the scanner." I think he said the
Japanese model would be $1299.00.

I told him to just cancel my order. Then he asked if the price was a
problem and I said it was and he dropped the price to $1250.00. I
said no thank you just cancel everything. Salesman says "Okay, no
problem." and we hung up.

In less than a minute the phone rings and the salesman offers to drop
the price to $1240.00 shipping included. By now I don't want to do
business with someone like this figuring it's not going to be a good
experience somewhere along the line. How can I trust this company, I'm
thinking? So I again refuse. Then the salesman says he will be
charging my credit card 5% of the purchase price because I cancelled
the order. I told him he could not do this and that if he did I would
be speaking to Maine's Consumer Fraud Division of the Attorney
Generals office. He sid this is our company's policy and you should
have read our policy more closely before you ordered.

I did read what is printed at
http://www.starlightcameras.com/info.html. This is accessed through
Star Light Camera's home page http://www.starlightcameras.com/
by clicking on "Customer Service" or "About Us" at the bottom of the
page.

Hidden in their "Privacy Policy" at
http://www.starlightcameras.com/privacypolicy.html there is an item
#8 which says there is 5% cancellation fee on orders already billed.

So this guy is trying to pressure me into not cancelling the order by
using the threat of these cancellation fees whether I receive anything
or not.

I called American Express and they said I will have to wait to see if
a charge shows up on my bill and then contact them to have it
removed/mediated.

Meanwhile I'm going to turn all of this information over to the Maine
Attorney Generals office as they must be pulling this stuff with a lot
of Maine people besides me.

I am a Popular Photography subscriber of many years. I don't see how a
company that uses these tactics can be included in your list of check
rated sites. Aren't your check rated sites supposed to be trustworthy
companies that do not pull bait and switch cons? Aren't your check
rated sites not supposed to strip items included by the manufacturer
away from the product and then charge the consumer extra for them? Is
this the first complaint you have had about Star Light Cameras?

Star Light Cameras should be removed from your check rated list if
that list is to remain meaningful.

Gene Maxim
Randolph, Me. 04346

I am a Popular Photography subscriber of many years. I don't see how a
company that uses these tactics can be included in your list of check
rated sites. Aren't your check rated sites supposed to be trustworthy
companies that do not pull bait and switch cons? Aren't your check
rated sites not supposed to strip items included by the manufacturer
away from the product and then charge the consumer extra for them? Is
this the first complaint you have had about Star Light Cameras?

Star Light Cameras should be removed from your check rated list if
that list is to remain meaningful.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------
Pop Photo is well aware that this sort of thing goes on and they don't care -
there have been lengthy discussions on this topic in this group and others. Try
a google search.

Without the advertising revenue Pop Photo would fold and so would the dishonest
stores. The hell with the consumer. Your letter will be ignored.


Bob G

In article , Geepop4
@yahoo.com says...
A copy of what I sent to Pop Photo about this company.

Dear Popular Photography Staff,

I was searching for photo gear using your web site
http://popphoto.pricegrabber.com/sea...dee21b5b963e25
and while at that location saw Star Light Cameras listed as a check
rated site. I clicked on their site and saw a Nikon LS 5000 ED scanner
for $1039.99 so I called Star Light to order it. This was December 31,
2003 at about 7:20 p.m. The salesman was pleasant, I confirmed the
price and that shipping would be an additional 6%, and gave him my
credit card, telephone, and shipping address. I asked him if my credit
card would be billed that night (Wednesday) and he said "No, not until
Friday. He then asked if I wanted the five year extended warranty for
the special price of $199.00 (regularly $299) and I said "No I'm very
careful with my equipment and I've never used a warranty. Then he
pulled the switch on me: "Do you want the Taiwan or Japanese model?
The price quoted is for the Taiwan model and that doesn't come with
any cables or anything it's just the scanner." I think he said the
Japanese model would be $1299.00.

I told him to just cancel my order. Then he asked if the price was a
problem and I said it was and he dropped the price to $1250.00. I
said no thank you just cancel everything. Salesman says "Okay, no
problem." and we hung up.

In less than a minute the phone rings and the salesman offers to drop
the price to $1240.00 shipping included. By now I don't want to do
business with someone like this figuring it's not going to be a good
experience somewhere along the line. How can I trust this company, I'm
thinking? So I again refuse. Then the salesman says he will be
charging my credit card 5% of the purchase price because I cancelled
the order. I told him he could not do this and that if he did I would
be speaking to Maine's Consumer Fraud Division of the Attorney
Generals office. He sid this is our company's policy and you should
have read our policy more closely before you ordered.

I did read what is printed at
http://www.starlightcameras.com/info.html. This is accessed through
Star Light Camera's home page http://www.starlightcameras.com/
by clicking on "Customer Service" or "About Us" at the bottom of the
page.

Hidden in their "Privacy Policy" at
http://www.starlightcameras.com/privacypolicy.html there is an item
#8 which says there is 5% cancellation fee on orders already billed.

So this guy is trying to pressure me into not cancelling the order by
using the threat of these cancellation fees whether I receive anything
or not.
Contact your credit card company and tell them not to honor charges.
First phone and the send a letter to the complaints address they list
(not the address where you send payment).

--
Robert D Feinman

Landscapes, Cityscapes, Panoramas and Photoshop Tips
http://robertdfeinman.com

Your first mistake is in assuming that POP Photo cares whether their
check rated program is meaningful. If you pay the ad fee for a
full-page color ad, you are check rated. Sounds like Abe's of Maine all
over again.

B&H and Adorama are the ONLY two reputable mail-order dealers out there
and you take your chances with anyone else. What you got is the oldest
trick in the photo equipment scam. You could substitute
multi-coated/uncoated, with batteries/without, Japan/Korea/Taiwan,
black/silver. Most of the retailers in POP photo are scam artists who
routinely participate in bait/switch or upcharges for things the
manufacterer includes. If you would have said that you wanted the
Taiwan model the rest of the conversation would have been to tell you
that they were out of those, but they would charge your card and put you
on the waiting list.

Geepop wrote:

A copy of what I sent to Pop Photo about this company.

Dear Popular Photography Staff,

I was searching for photo gear using your web site
http://popphoto.pricegrabber.com/sea...dee21b5b963e25
and while at that location saw Star Light Cameras listed as a check
rated site. I clicked on their site and saw a Nikon LS 5000 ED scanner
for $1039.99 so I called Star Light to order it. This was December 31,
2003 at about 7:20 p.m.

B&H and Adorama are definitely NOT the only reputable mail order
dealers. While there are certainly a lot of scam companies operating
out of Brooklyn, there are also many other reputable online retailers,
like Ritz, Samy's in LA, Robert's Imaging, Jack's, Cameta Camera, and
so forth. Best to check them out on photo.net or resellerratings.com
to see if they're legit than to just assume everyone except B&H and
Adorama is a crook.

Tom P.

On Fri, 02 Jan 2004 08:55:19 -0600, John Smith
wrote:


B&H and Adorama are the ONLY two reputable mail-order dealers out there
and you take your chances with anyone else.

The other caveat is to not be such a cheap son of a gun and purchase
locally whenever possible. I am sorry to say that most people help to drive
out local busineses by taking significant risks to save 5 or 10%.
Imagine, if you will, your employer telling you you are out of a job
because there is someone willing to work for 5% less than you. They may turn
out to deadbeats who are more trouble than the savings, but will you be
laughing from the unemployment line?
No one locally selling the product? Probably driven out of business by
people buying low ball mail order.
"Geepop" wrote in message
m...
A copy of what I sent to Pop Photo about this company.

Dear Popular Photography Staff,

I was searching for photo gear using your web site

http://popphoto.pricegrabber.com/sea...dee21b5b963e25
and while at that location saw Star Light Cameras listed as a check
rated site. I clicked on their site and saw a Nikon LS 5000 ED scanner
for $1039.99 so I called Star Light to order it. This was December 31,
2003 at about 7:20 p.m. The salesman was pleasant, I confirmed the
price and that shipping would be an additional 6%, and gave him my
credit card, telephone, and shipping address. I asked him if my credit
card would be billed that night (Wednesday) and he said "No, not until
Friday. He then asked if I wanted the five year extended warranty for
the special price of $199.00 (regularly $299) and I said "No I'm very
careful with my equipment and I've never used a warranty. Then he
pulled the switch on me: "Do you want the Taiwan or Japanese model?
The price quoted is for the Taiwan model and that doesn't come with
any cables or anything it's just the scanner." I think he said the
Japanese model would be $1299.00.

I told him to just cancel my order. Then he asked if the price was a
problem and I said it was and he dropped the price to $1250.00. I
said no thank you just cancel everything. Salesman says "Okay, no
problem." and we hung up.

In less than a minute the phone rings and the salesman offers to drop
the price to $1240.00 shipping included. By now I don't want to do
business with someone like this figuring it's not going to be a good
experience somewhere along the line. How can I trust this company, I'm
thinking? So I again refuse. Then the salesman says he will be
charging my credit card 5% of the purchase price because I cancelled
the order. I told him he could not do this and that if he did I would
be speaking to Maine's Consumer Fraud Division of the Attorney
Generals office. He sid this is our company's policy and you should
have read our policy more closely before you ordered.

I did read what is printed at
http://www.starlightcameras.com/info.html. This is accessed through
Star Light Camera's home page http://www.starlightcameras.com/
by clicking on "Customer Service" or "About Us" at the bottom of the
page.

Hidden in their "Privacy Policy" at
http://www.starlightcameras.com/privacypolicy.html there is an item
#8 which says there is 5% cancellation fee on orders already billed.

So this guy is trying to pressure me into not cancelling the order by
using the threat of these cancellation fees whether I receive anything
or not.

I called American Express and they said I will have to wait to see if
a charge shows up on my bill and then contact them to have it
removed/mediated.

Meanwhile I'm going to turn all of this information over to the Maine
Attorney Generals office as they must be pulling this stuff with a lot
of Maine people besides me.

I am a Popular Photography subscriber of many years. I don't see how a
company that uses these tactics can be included in your list of check
rated sites. Aren't your check rated sites supposed to be trustworthy
companies that do not pull bait and switch cons? Aren't your check
rated sites not supposed to strip items included by the manufacturer
away from the product and then charge the consumer extra for them? Is
this the first complaint you have had about Star Light Cameras?

Star Light Cameras should be removed from your check rated list if
that list is to remain meaningful.

Gene Maxim
Randolph, Me. 04346

GREAT point, and one that's easy to overlook in our search for the
fastest, best and CHEAPEST!

Tom P.



On Sat, 03 Jan 2004 04:54:13 GMT, "Tallman"
wrote:

The other caveat is to not be such a cheap son of a gun and purchase
locally whenever possible. I am sorry to say that most people help to drive
out local busineses by taking significant risks to save 5 or 10%.
Imagine, if you will, your employer telling you you are out of a job
because there is someone willing to work for 5% less than you. They may turn
out to deadbeats who are more trouble than the savings, but will you be
laughing from the unemployment line?
No one locally selling the product? Probably driven out of business by
people buying low ball mail order.

I always thought that "check rated" meant that they pay their advertising
invoices to the mag you saw it in. The last time I did a page count in Pop
Photo, I counted 83% of the magazine as ads...that should clear up
priorities for you.

"Geepop" wrote in message
m...
A copy of what I sent to Pop Photo about this company.

Dear Popular Photography Staff,

I was searching for photo gear using your web site

http://popphoto.pricegrabber.com/sea...dee21b5b963e25
and while at that location saw Star Light Cameras listed as a check
rated site. I clicked on their site and saw a Nikon LS 5000 ED scanner
for $1039.99 so I called Star Light to order it. This was December 31,
2003 at about 7:20 p.m. The salesman was pleasant, I confirmed the
price and that shipping would be an additional 6%, and gave him my
credit card, telephone, and shipping address. I asked him if my credit
card would be billed that night (Wednesday) and he said "No, not until
Friday. He then asked if I wanted the five year extended warranty for
the special price of $199.00 (regularly $299) and I said "No I'm very
careful with my equipment and I've never used a warranty. Then he
pulled the switch on me: "Do you want the Taiwan or Japanese model?
The price quoted is for the Taiwan model and that doesn't come with
any cables or anything it's just the scanner." I think he said the
Japanese model would be $1299.00.

I told him to just cancel my order. Then he asked if the price was a
problem and I said it was and he dropped the price to $1250.00. I
said no thank you just cancel everything. Salesman says "Okay, no
problem." and we hung up.

In less than a minute the phone rings and the salesman offers to drop
the price to $1240.00 shipping included. By now I don't want to do
business with someone like this figuring it's not going to be a good
experience somewhere along the line. How can I trust this company, I'm
thinking? So I again refuse. Then the salesman says he will be
charging my credit card 5% of the purchase price because I cancelled
the order. I told him he could not do this and that if he did I would
be speaking to Maine's Consumer Fraud Division of the Attorney
Generals office. He sid this is our company's policy and you should
have read our policy more closely before you ordered.

I did read what is printed at
http://www.starlightcameras.com/info.html. This is accessed through
Star Light Camera's home page http://www.starlightcameras.com/
by clicking on "Customer Service" or "About Us" at the bottom of the
page.

Hidden in their "Privacy Policy" at
http://www.starlightcameras.com/privacypolicy.html there is an item
#8 which says there is 5% cancellation fee on orders already billed.

So this guy is trying to pressure me into not cancelling the order by
using the threat of these cancellation fees whether I receive anything
or not.

I called American Express and they said I will have to wait to see if
a charge shows up on my bill and then contact them to have it
removed/mediated.

Meanwhile I'm going to turn all of this information over to the Maine
Attorney Generals office as they must be pulling this stuff with a lot
of Maine people besides me.

I am a Popular Photography subscriber of many years. I don't see how a
company that uses these tactics can be included in your list of check
rated sites. Aren't your check rated sites supposed to be trustworthy
companies that do not pull bait and switch cons? Aren't your check
rated sites not supposed to strip items included by the manufacturer
away from the product and then charge the consumer extra for them? Is
this the first complaint you have had about Star Light Cameras?

Star Light Cameras should be removed from your check rated list if
that list is to remain meaningful.

Gene Maxim
Randolph, Me. 04346

Okay advice on less expensive items, but if I am buying a $1500
lens/camera 10% adds up to a lot of $.

"Tallman" wrote in message t...
The other caveat is to not be such a cheap son of a gun and purchase
locally whenever possible. I am sorry to say that most people help to drive
out local busineses by taking significant risks to save 5 or 10%.
Imagine, if you will, your employer telling you you are out of a job
because there is someone willing to work for 5% less than you. They may turn
out to deadbeats who are more trouble than the savings, but will you be
laughing from the unemployment line?
No one locally selling the product? Probably driven out of business by
people buying low ball mail order.
"Geepop" wrote in message
m...
A copy of what I sent to Pop Photo about this company.

Dear Popular Photography Staff,

I was searching for photo gear using your web site

http://popphoto.pricegrabber.com/sea...dee21b5b963e25
and while at that location saw Star Light Cameras listed as a check
rated site. I clicked on their site and saw a Nikon LS 5000 ED scanner
for $1039.99 so I called Star Light to order it. This was December 31,
2003 at about 7:20 p.m. The salesman was pleasant, I confirmed the
price and that shipping would be an additional 6%, and gave him my
credit card, telephone, and shipping address. I asked him if my credit
card would be billed that night (Wednesday) and he said "No, not until
Friday. He then asked if I wanted the five year extended warranty for
the special price of $199.00 (regularly $299) and I said "No I'm very
careful with my equipment and I've never used a warranty. Then he
pulled the switch on me: "Do you want the Taiwan or Japanese model?
The price quoted is for the Taiwan model and that doesn't come with
any cables or anything it's just the scanner." I think he said the
Japanese model would be $1299.00.

I told him to just cancel my order. Then he asked if the price was a
problem and I said it was and he dropped the price to $1250.00. I
said no thank you just cancel everything. Salesman says "Okay, no
problem." and we hung up.

In less than a minute the phone rings and the salesman offers to drop
the price to $1240.00 shipping included. By now I don't want to do
business with someone like this figuring it's not going to be a good
experience somewhere along the line. How can I trust this company, I'm
thinking? So I again refuse. Then the salesman says he will be
charging my credit card 5% of the purchase price because I cancelled
the order. I told him he could not do this and that if he did I would
be speaking to Maine's Consumer Fraud Division of the Attorney
Generals office. He sid this is our company's policy and you should
have read our policy more closely before you ordered.

I did read what is printed at
http://www.starlightcameras.com/info.html. This is accessed through
Star Light Camera's home page http://www.starlightcameras.com/
by clicking on "Customer Service" or "About Us" at the bottom of the
page.

Hidden in their "Privacy Policy" at
http://www.starlightcameras.com/privacypolicy.html there is an item
#8 which says there is 5% cancellation fee on orders already billed.

So this guy is trying to pressure me into not cancelling the order by
using the threat of these cancellation fees whether I receive anything
or not.

I called American Express and they said I will have to wait to see if
a charge shows up on my bill and then contact them to have it
removed/mediated.

Meanwhile I'm going to turn all of this information over to the Maine
Attorney Generals office as they must be pulling this stuff with a lot
of Maine people besides me.

I am a Popular Photography subscriber of many years. I don't see how a
company that uses these tactics can be included in your list of check
rated sites. Aren't your check rated sites supposed to be trustworthy
companies that do not pull bait and switch cons? Aren't your check
rated sites not supposed to strip items included by the manufacturer
away from the product and then charge the consumer extra for them? Is
this the first complaint you have had about Star Light Cameras?

Star Light Cameras should be removed from your check rated list if
that list is to remain meaningful.

Gene Maxim
Randolph, Me. 04346

Geepop wrote:

A copy of what I sent to Pop Photo about this company.

Dear Popular Photography Staff,

[snip]

I am a Popular Photography subscriber of many years. I don't see how a
company that uses these tactics can be included in your list of check
rated sites....

The general consensus is that "check-rated" means that that advertiser
sent Pop Photo a check.

-Dave